Two teenage girls attacked with acid in Mastung

Attackers used syringes to spray acid on victims, mirroring yesterday's attack on 4 women in Quetta.

QUETTA: Masked men on motorcycles attacked two sisters, in their early teens, with acid outside a market in Mastung district in Balochistan on Tuesday. 

The girls were on their way home, when the men used syringes to spray acid on their faces.

This was the second brutal incident in less than 24 hours in Balochistan. On June 21, four women sustained minor burn injuries in the outskirts of Quetta, which also took place outside a jewellery shop when men on motorcycles also attacked them with acid using syringes.

Giving details of today's attack, Nazir Ahmed Langov, SHO Mastung police stattion, said that 12-year old Mawish Jamali and 14-year-old Sarish Jamali were shopping on Chandni Road -- the main market for women's shopping.

Police could not find any clues, nor has any group or organisation claimed responsibility for the incident.

In both incidents, perpetrators managed to flee from the scene.

“The victims received minor burn injuries [but] are in stable condition. The attack [was] meant to terrorise the girls. It is the first ever in incident in Mastung district,” Nazir Ahmed told the Express Tribune.

The girls were admitted to the Civil Hospital in Mastung.

“Mavish received burn injuries on her face, while Sarish [has been injured] on her neck. [However], they are stable and [will be discharged soon],” Langov said.

The modus operandi was the same as yesterday's attack, as the masked men appeared on motorbikes and used syringes to spray acid on the faces of the girls in the market.

The victims, like those attacked in the previous incident, had stated that they had no enmity with anyone. “We had never been warned or threatened. We do not know who is behind the attack,” police said quoting the victims, who were too traumatised to speak.

The victims of the previous attack also said they had no enmity with anyone, nor had they been threatened.

The two sisters also refused to lodge an FIR as their family said they do not want to pursue their case.

High officials in Quetta say the families of the victims are not cooperating with investigators, hence resulting in difficulties tracing the culprits. “The victims of the Quetta attack refused to lodge [an] FIR and give complete statements,” Home Secretary Akbar Durrani told The Express Tribune.

Durrani said it could be a family dispute or the work of any other group. “[Extremist] groups claim responsibility when they carry out attacks,” he said.

However, he said security has increased across Balochistan near markets since the first day of Ramazan following the critical situation of the country.